Swelling A Reddish-Black

"Human mind truly is the scariest thing of all"

___

Chapter 1 | Swelling a Reddish Black

(Thousand Years later...)

Ji Minho shut his eyes tightly, he shook his head vigorously as he chants 'go away' silently. He convinced himself, it has to be, there's no way he is seeing them again, what could have triggered it this time? the blonde boy insists on seeing the ghouls that attacked him when he was a kid, leaving scars on his face.

A faint inaudible voice is shaking him back to reality. The blonde boy's eyes filled with horror, as the boy shakes nervously. "Archer, are you seeing them again?" The green-eyed boy, Luhan asked, sighing, offered his jacket to Archer, covering the boy in the passenger's seat. "We're here with you, nothing's gonna happen," Luhan reassured Minho, patting the shaking boy's blonde locks.

The youngest in the group, Knuckles pokes Luhan's back. "Han Hyung, it's been hours, I need to pee!" Knuckles blurt out on the verge of crying.

      "Pee in this bottle, we can't risk blowing our cover." Han the green-eyed boy handed the kid an empty bottle.

      "Hey! Don't you dare! I'll cut that pickle-size dick of yours!" The black-haired boy with a scar on the right side of his face protested.

      "How am I supposed to pee! We'll blow the cover if I go outside!" Knuckles said, gesturing outside then the bottle.

     "Won't it be more suspicious to pee in the bottle? Like we've been here for five hours straight." The black-haired boy, Cheol-Su asserted.

        "Just pee already! Cheol-Su what's your problem with peeing? You pee as well, let the boy relieve himself." The purple-eyed boy said.

     "Yeah, I do pee! But not in a bottle! It's disgusting!" Said Cheol-Su in disgust.

      "Arghhh! Let me rest already!" The medium-short-haired girl argued.

      Han the green-eyed boy sighed at the situation raging behind him. "Void, go with Knuckles, there's a nearby store just behind us." The boys cheered. "Void, don't let Knuckles out of your sight. Keep a low profile as well, remember we're on a mission." Instructed Han who's presumed to be the leader of the squad.

      The two boys exited the vehicle and head down the said store. Knuckles, who urgently needed to relieve himself, started running, Void followed behind, screaming for the boy's name. "I already told them to keep a low profile." Han sighed.

(At the store)

"Restroom! It's urgent!" Knuckles screams knocking at the glass door, with a sign hanging 'Break Time'. Void can only look at Knuckles who is desperately in need of relief.

"The bottle!" Knuckles looks miserable as he rummages for the bottle. Void calmly points to where the car is. "You left it in the van." Knuckles head drop as he falls slowly to the ground.

"I'll take the risk."

"Don't tell me—"

"Help me up hyung! Carry me back to the car, please." Knuckles pleads. Void rolled his eyes, crouching next to the young boy, as the boy climbs Void's back.

"Hey! What took you so long?" Luhan asserted look at the uncomfortable Knuckles.

"You. Haven't peed yet?!" Luhan asked, sighing as he brushed his green locks in distress.

"It was closed! It had a sign, saying that they are on break!" Knuckles whined.

"What are you planning to do now?" The yellow-eyed kid, Jungseok asked, who seemed to have woken up.

"Can I use my ability? I'm freer when I turn myself into a witch dog." Knuckles suggested, his hyungs looks so done.

"Fine. Do it quick." Luhan agrees, sighing for the 5th time.

"Thanks, hyung—" said Knuckles as he transformed into a witch dog, Cheol-Su opens the door for the youngest, Jae Hyo awoken and kicks Knuckles by the rear, making the poor witch dog fly, liquid sprayed from Knuckles crotch.

"It's raining all of a sudden?" Cheol-Su mumbles as he followed behind the witch dog sniffed the streets and peed on the grass, a girl then approaches them and started patting Knuckles. The door of the car swag opened as Void, and Luhan violently carried Knuckles back in the car.

"Save!" Void and Luhan clapped. As Knuckles quickly turned back to human form.

"Not fair! She's my type!" Knuckled argued.

-

(Later at 6 PM)

The snow has started to blanket the city, roads became stiff and slippery from snow and ice. A group of minors was on a mission to slay Ghouls that lingers that area, the people of the city had sighted weird creatures along the forest.

"Hey! Archer, we need back up!"

One of Archer's team called out, pressure began to coil up his system because it looks like they are going to fail this night, he operates with this team specified for his soon-to-be profession-a Goemul Ssaum, it's a job in which they are to exterminate violent creatures like ghouls, monsters, goblins, and demons.

The demons and monsters are usually created by humans, through fear, greed, wrath, jealousy, and pride.

Ji Minho, who goes by the name Archer, is an orphan who took the job of eliminating monsters. The reason is grand that's why he didn't even hesitate to take the job.

That night a ghoul caught him, with no arrows left to shoot, Archer was terrified that this will be his last fight, Archer's least favorite is the sight of human blood-his blood, the ghoul in front of him dig a deep wound on his torso, his blood sprayed across the walls, staining it, it caused the boy to scramble on the floor, with his blood smudging the floor.

Aside from new scratches on his arms and legs that would probably leave a hideous scar.

He was left with no resort and began fleeing from the scene, but this does not mean he will leave his squadmates, his blood continued to ooze out, which might also be a great opportunity to buy his squadmates time.

"Archer!"

One of his dark-haired squad called out, Minho wobble to his feet, his bow supporting him, the boy started to flee the scene. Minho started shouting insulting words-which probably won't work on ghouls, but it does capture the monster's attention. This must be the most stupid and most ineffective way to lure the monsters out of the building, it sure giveaway especially the tight space which is another help for the teens.

"Knuckles, go with Archer, his ideas are getting out of hand, he'll die at this point!" Instructed the guy who looks like to lead the squad also known as Han, about nineteen years old.

Archer's cheeks were draped with a mixture of blood, sweat, and tears. Terror was written all over Minho's facade as he drags himself out of the building, leaving a trail of blood on purpose.

The boy proceeds to run away into the forest Knuckle's faint voice faded as soon as he reaches the forest which is covered in layers of snow, muting all the sound. His

heavy breathing and his feet across the snow were the only things that made sound that night.

           *huff*

                  *huff*

—he breathes heavily between whimpers, while blood drips from his torso.

          "Ugh, this is the dumbest idea, of all the dumb ideas I had before, this will kill me."

The boy cries out, wiping his tears, his blue eyes say it all this is the end.

        "So, they were right all along... I'm going to die." The blue-eyed boy sniffs as he keeps pressure on his wound.

His breath becomes too shallow as he started to lose consciousness, the uneven snow-covered ground made it harder for him to keep his trail straight, with all his strength he proceeds to go further into the abyss.

The sound of ghouls in the area horrified the boy more, the loud screeching and screams of the monsters around the district make his vision blurry, tears started to form in the boy's eyes as he tries to recall his first mission with his squad.

         "Come at me, stupid Ghouls! "

Archer screams as he falls on his knees, the snow is soft and cold.

The ground vibrates as soon as he saw a glimpse of the beast, the boy started to crawl out of the snow further to the unknown abyss, unfortunately, his running out of blood, and he might not be able to make it back to his squad.

The boy started to cry more, thinking that nobody would probably find him in the middle of the forest in this weather, he'll probably be rotten or perhaps turn into those monsters after the snow disappears, he would be unrecognizable, he would not be himself anymore. He doesn't want to die, Luhan promised him that they would go to the beach.

"I'm not going to make it back. I'm sorry." The boy said in between grunts, with every breath feels so agonizing, his body falls onto the snow-covered ground, his face sunk as he feels his face go numb from the cold.

___

The police sirens filled the blizzard, none of the boys were injured badly.

"Officer, my squadmate, he-run into the forest, and he's badly injured." Knuckles one of the squad members called out, his face and clothes drenched with ghoul's blood-green slimy liquid.

"We will do everything we can to find him, don't worry."

The officer reassured the boys. The snow has lifted that night, it's about midnight when an officer calls out, Minho's squad immediately heads over to the scene.

There they find Ji Minho covered in blood, his lips have turned blue due to the cold but the medic told them that Minho's heartbeat was nowhere to be found, thankfully his heart started to be at, they said he would have died if they didn't call for help sooner, said the officer. It was a miracle, or is it?

As soon as the ambulance has taken Minho to the hospital, the two girls were taken by the officers back to the quarters, where they will be treated with their minor injuries, while the four boys in the squad were taken to a police station for questioning.

That leaves Luhan to watch Minho in the hospital till the boy has regained his consciousness.

But somehow, they all knew it was all an act, no one's worried about them—Goemul Ssaum—because that mission is unauthorized by the government, they are almost unknown to the public, most of them came from the orphanage, Luhan was the first to come up with the idea of eliminating Ghouls, soon the others joined. Ji Minho a.k.a Archer was left traumatized when a ghoul attacked him in their first mission.

"Idiot, you almost died, again, you lost a lot of blood, you were on the brink of death, you are such an idiot." The boy exhaled frowning, he cupped his face as he began to shake, anxiety started roping in.

"Hey, stupid, you were trying to lure them are you? Why would you do such a thing? You hardly do this, why would you risk your life like that?" All Minho could do is listen to Luham cry that night.

The sound of the shriek of the ghouls filled the void as Ji Minho was running in the dark with Demons and Ghouls behind chasing him.

His squadmates were eaten alive right in front of his eyes and all he can do is run turning back to check on the ghouls chasing him, he saw a glimpse of his Luhan and Cheol-Su fighting the monsters, they were badly injured, Ahn Jae was laying on the ground her guts were all over the place with her eyes fixed with Ji Minho, the boy runs his body tired from all the running, causing him to trip-his someone's corpse, it was the youngest—Knuckles upper body was laying on the ground causing the ghoul to catch him, the foul smell of the ghoul's mouth made him gagged, as he was about to get eaten, he heard a faint voice, it was Luhan's.

"Archer!"

It sounded like he was panicking, he was shaken awake by Luhan his breath ragged.

"Y-you were screaming and thrashing your arms and legs, I had to hold you down." Luhan's concerned voice relaxed Minho's breathing.

"Nightmare—" that was all Minho said.

"It must have been traumatic on your part." Luhan patted the boy's blonde locks.

"Yeah—" a short response from the blonde.

Luhan exhaled as he stretched his arms and lay his back on the chair. "You made us worry dumbass." Luhan flicks Minho's forehead that made the blonde hissed in pain as they both laugh. The two then sleep together in one bed, Luhan was too concerned that Minho might have another nightmare.

___

                                   "Minho—"

         "Boy"

                          "Wakey—wakey sleep head"

Ji Minho arose, from the voice," who was that just now?" Minho pounds his forehead. Luhan sleeps beside him like a corpse. "How can he sleep like that." Minho sighed, as an intense pain shot up his head, he yelped from the agony causing Luhan to shift position.

        "Did I hit my head?" Minho said as the pain increases. The blonde got down from the bed and to went to the bathroom.

            "Ugh, this won't die down." Minho grunts, he looked into the mirror to see his reflection, inspecting the wounds on his face caused by the ghoul when he had his first encounter with a ghoul.

       "What a nasty scar. I look scary."

All Minho could say as the pain rises. He cupped both his hands on his head as he whimpers from the intensifying pain.

         "AHH!— AAAH!" Minho cries out falling onto the tiled floor with a loud thud, resulting in Luhan waking up.

           "Archer?"

Luhan asked jumping out of bed next to the pained boy, distress started to increase as Minho started to scream even louder.

     "Hey! Minho, tell me what's wrong!" Luhan hugged the pained boy. Minho's eyes were shut tightly, hoping the pain would die down, but it didn't. Soon nurses came bursting through the door asking about the current situation.

           "It—it hurts! My head! Like something is drilling into my skull! AAAAH!" Minho screamed pounding his head with his fist, with the poor boy's tears flowing, Luhan braced Minho's arms as the boy started to cry out in pain even more. This never happened before, Luhan thought, as Minho's strength decreases.

              "Get the medicine!" One of the nurses called out. As they hold Minho down the floor, the screams of the boy Minho filled the room.

                    "Minho~"

The voice in Minho's head sounded playful yet chilling, this made Minho flinch and it made the boy stopped moving, the nurses and Luhan were confused by the sudden silence coming from the boy. Minho then flicked his eyes open, his eyes were the color of glowing reddish black.

This made Luhan inch away from his squadmate, terror was written on the boy's face. This isn't Minho, was all Luhan could think of that night.

            "Fánrén," The hoarse voice said in Chinese, means 'Mortals'.

Only Luhan understands what Minho just said. The hoarse voice clicked his tongue, it eyed everyone in the room, making the nurses confused. After that strange occurrence, Minho fainted.

            "Hand me the syringe," one of the nurses instructed, everyone has quiet down, and one of the nurses seemed to care about the strange thing. Luhan still cradles the boy like a baby. Luhan's mind is running wild with questions.

'Minho's voice, it's not his— plus, why would he say mortals in Chinese? As I recall Minho had never studied Chinese— out of all the words in the dictionary.'

The nurses injected the medicine to make Minho calm his senses down, Luhan stayed outside Minho's door, head droop between his knees.

          "Hey," mumbled the girl, Luhan lifted his head to see Jae Hyo wearing her thick winter clothes together with Yoonji also known as Banshee.

        "Why are you here?" Asked Jae Hyo, who handed Luhan a warm paper bag. "It's dinner, I accidentally bought two, the questioning took longer than expected." Jae Hyo looks away.

          "Archer's been put to sleep." Jae Hyo didn't respond. But Yoonji gasped in concern. "He told us his head hurt like something's drilling inside."

      "Did he suffered damage in the head?" The dark-haired girl asked, looking a little concerned, but didn't show more.

         "No—maybe, but the medic said that he only lost a lot of blood his heart is barely beating from the gush on his torso." Luhan sighed, his voice cracking, Jae Hyo sat next to the boy.

            "I heard he had scars on his arms and legs, that's troubling for him, considering the first time he encountered a ghoul, it left scars on his face as well." Jae Hyo said.

            "I feel bad, he risked his life to buy us time to eliminate the ghouls." Yoonji sighed, leaning by the wall.

Luhan couldn't help but think of the earlier situation, Minho is not himself, Luhan was sure of that. He was also sure that it would be better to keep to himself, he also instructed the nurses to not tell anyone about what happened, they don't seem interested and agree with Luhan's terms.

Later that night, Luhan, and Jae Hyo stayed in the room with Minho on the bed. Yoonji had to go back to the quarters to tell the others. The two weren't able to sleep right away, because they were too anxious about what had occurred that night.

                     *grunts*

                                    *breathes*

Minho wakes up, the light was shut off, so only the moonlight from the window emits light to the room. The boy touched his head remembering the intense pain he felt earlier.

          "Mister voice in my head," Minho mumbles, apparently talking to a voice inside his head.

        The boy chuckles, "I may have been hallucinating." Minho jumps out of his bed to find Jae Hyo noona and, Luhan hyung asleep on the other bed, must have been the nurses that offered them a comfortable bed, Minho thought.

The tiled floor made him shiver from the cold, he tip-toed towards the bathroom to relieve himself. As soon as he opened the door, his face flashed in the mirror. "I better cover this up, it looks nasty." Minho caresses the scars on his face, arms and legs.

With a blink of his eyes, his blue eyes turned to a bright reddish-black. Minho stumbles away from the mirror upon seeing his eyes changed color.

        "What the hell was that," Minho once again look over to the mirror to check his eyes. "I'm seeing things." The boy burst out laughing to himself. Luhan awoke from the sound of laughing.

        "What are you doing?" Luhan asked with a sleepy voice.

       "I'm going crazy hyung, only a second ago, my eyes were the shade of blood." The boy laughed, this made Luhan laugh nervously. "Ha-ha-ha, you sure are."

      "What kind of laugh is that!" Minho laughed even harder, covering his mouth to minimize the sound.

       Luhan can only watch the boy giggle.

       "Hey, hyung-earlier, before my head started to hurt, I heard a voice in my head, but seeing my eyes turned red made me realize that I might have hit my head." Minho wipes the tear from his eyes as he reassured Luhan that he'll be alright in the bathroom.

Luhan can only stay behind the door of the bathroom, while he hears Minho crying on the other side of the door. It hurts Luhan to see someone younger than him suffer so much.

___

Memories are the worst form of torture, that was all Jae Hyo could think of as the night passed. She overheard Luhan and Minho talking and the sound of Minho laughing made her mind at ease. But she doesn't remember Minho having a voice in his head. Something must have happened this night.

Jae Hyo also known as Huntress, decided to make an errand before the others wake up. She remembers everyone's birthday, and she was sure of it—Minho's birthday is today. She called the others to plan for Minho's birthday at the hospital, they won't make it so grand, since Minho is still recovering.

As soon as she had brought a cake, on her way back to the hospital, Jung Han knows as Void teleported by the alley, this surprises Jae Hyo.

"Nuna! It's Minho—he's gone and Luhan hyung is also injured badly, he said when he woke up, Minho attacked him, he's gone insane!"

This was supposed to be a happy celebration for Minho, but why all of a sudden Luhan got hurt and the blonde boy went missing?